"Mate?"
Ron watched his brothers bicker and disappear from view, then turned around and saw his good friend looking downcast.
"What's wrong?" he asked with concern as he walked over.
"It's nothing." Harry shook his head, pulling out a letter and handing it to Ron. "Just feeling a bit sentimental."
Ron took the letter, gave it a quick glance, and returned it to Harry as if it were hot to the touch.
"To be honest, mate, you're just getting a bit too invested in it." Ron patted Harry's shoulder. "That was a hundred years ago, the whole feud between that other Harry Potter and Malfoy. What's any of that got to do with you?"
"But..." Ron added, "If I were you, I'd be more worried about something else than Malfoy not researching time magic for that Potter."
"What?" Harry looked up.
"Miss Grindelwald, of course." Ron made a swirling motion in the air with his hand. "Think about it. What if Miss Grindelwald's brother was that Dark Wizard Grindelwald defeated by Principal Dumbledore? What would you do?"
"What's that got to do with me?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"It's definitely connected! Blood Mother Hell!" Ron said, sympathetically squeezing Harry's shoulder. "You see, Dark Wizards don't play by the rules. He must know that his sister abandoned their family for some Harry Potter... And you, my friend, your name is also Harry Potter..."
"And then what?" Harry still didn't see the point.
"Merlin's beard!" Ron held his head. "I can't guarantee what he'd say if he knew your name was Harry Potter too... something like... 'Mr. Potter, do you think my sister would mourn for you?' and then hit you with some dark magic... A Dark Wizard doesn't care which Harry you are, as long as he can vent his anger by eliminating a Harry Potter."
(Dead out)
Harry followed Ron's reasoning, shivering at the thought.
Ron was just speculating, but bloody hell, Harry had been to the Nimongard Castle in Austria— it was Austria-Hungary then— and actually saw Gellert Grindelwald!
Granted, back then Gellert was like a little Sunflower Parrot, incapable of any magic, with a pinchable little face, yet his hostility towards Harry was apparent even to an idiot.
Especially when Vivi wiped cream from his nose, Gellert's eyes nearly spat fire...
As the saying goes, a leopard can't change its spots. Given how Gellert acted back then, this kid was bound to retain those traits into adulthood and old age.
Considering Vivi's magical prowess, her brother is likely no slouch either.
After a hundred years of simmering, who knows what his magical level is now.
Anyway, Harry didn't think he was ready to duel Gellert yet...
"You've got a point," Harry said, putting away his notebook and the letter, deciding to search the Room of Requirement again.
With Ron's revelation, Harry suddenly realized there were many manifestations of the Room of Requirement, and his friends' belongings might not necessarily be in the meeting room version of it.
Seeing Harry get up and seemingly search for something, Ron asked in confusion, "Harry? What are you doing?"
"Just seeing if there are any more letters or something," Harry said, lowering his head. "You know, I'm actually quite interested in that Harry. After all, he was so... remarkable, I'd love to learn more about this notable namesake of mine."
Luckily, he kept his head down, so Ron didn't see his odd expression of self-praise.
"Alright, it could be worth looking into," Ron nodded. "After all, my great-grandfather Gareth was friends with him too."
But after a long search, the two still found nothing new.
Helplessly, Harry had no choice but to leave the Room of Requirement with a sense of loss.
After all, it was getting late.
Cassandra...
Sigh...
Harry felt quite troubled, though logically, he fully understood Cassandra giving up on finding him. Emotionally, however, he still felt a tinge of loss.
Oh well, it's for the best.
Harry thought to himself as he walked, bumping into Ron in front of him.
"What is it?" he asked in a low voice.
"Harry, look at that," Ron whispered back.
Harry looked up; he wasn't using the Invisibility Cloak but rather the Disillusionment Charm.
Inside a nearby abandoned classroom stood a mirror.
How strange, Harry thought. There wasn't a mirror there when they came earlier.
"Want to check it out?" Ron asked softly.
"No, let's just head back," Harry replied quietly, instinctively feeling something was off.
"Alright," Ron turned and continued down the corridor.
Nearby, hidden from view, Dumbledore watched intently through his half-moon spectacles, focusing on Harry and Ron's direction.
When Ron laid eyes on the mirror, Dumbledore straightened up a bit.
But as he saw the two leave without inspecting the mirror, Dumbledore let out a soft "hmm."
He moved his fingers, turning a statue at the corridor corner in front of Harry and Ron into a figure dressed in black robes with greasy hair, resembling a middle-aged man.
The young wizards were all afraid of Severus, Dumbledore thought, controlling the statue step by step towards his target, hoping to push them into the abandoned classroom with the mirror.
Because it was night, with the dim surroundings, Ron couldn't clearly see what was approaching— but that signature black robe and greasy hair instantly made him think of Professor Snape.
"Harry, it's Professor Snape!" he warned Harry in a whisper, "We can't let him catch us, or it'll mean serious point deductions... Maybe we should hide in that classroom?"
Harry frowned, finding the situation rather suspicious.
Professor Snape's sudden appearance seemed too coincidental, completely outside his normal routine.
After serving so many detentions, Harry had learned Snape's life was as regular as clockwork.
Usually, Snape would be in his office dealing with magic potion materials at this time, not lurking around the sixth floor. Catching students out of bed wasn't even his job; that was Fitch's responsibility.
Recalling the mirror earlier, could it be...
No, things were definitely off.
"Just stand still here, he won't notice us," Harry said quietly to Ron, pulling him to stand close against the wall.
Ron obediently followed, leaning securely against the wall as Harry guided him.
"Shhh, don't make a sound," Harry whispered, "We'll move once he passes."
Seeing Harry pulling Ron to stand against the wall, Dumbledore felt a mix of emotions.
Glad for their alertness and composure, yet a bit amused by his plan's failure.
But as the principal of Hogwarts, Dumbledore wasn't stumped by small setbacks.
He directed the statue step by step towards Harry and Ron, exerting an ominous pressure.
Then, he saw Harry quietly draw his magic wand, pointing it at the approaching "Professor Snape."
Dumbledore: ?
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